Bike and back pain: the most effective solutions

Bike and back pain are an inseparable combination for many cyclists. The lumbar pain usually begins when you get off the saddle and persists for hours, sometimes even for days.

There is a strong temptation to solve the problem with a painkiller, but it is only a temporary solution. It’s much wiser to get to the root of the problem and try to definitively solve it.

Here are the main causes of back pain when cycling and what you can do right away to free yourself from pain once and for all.

Causes of back pain when cycling

When you have back pain after riding your bike, it is easy to blame the bike, but are we really sure that it is the only one responsible? According to the World Health Organization, 85% of the world's population has suffered from lumbar pains at least once in their lives and this worrying fact immediately makes us understand that cyclists are only a small percentage of the people affected by the problem.

Back pain is often related to a combination of factors that act synergistically and when the lumbar area is subjected to stress, such as a bike ride or a physical effort, the pain begins.

In most cases, a poor posture causes muscle imbalance and inflammation, especially when you spend many hours at your desk. Incorrect posture on a bicycle can also cause or worsen the problem.

The triggering factor can be any excessive effort, too much physical activity, but also a heavy workload on the lumbar area. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle can also cause the problem and in some cases also overweight or particular pathologies.

Even when the cause of back pain is not the bike, those fightig pain are often forced to give up on their bike rides for fear of worsening back discomfort.

In fact, it is not necessary to give up on the passion for cycling, because if the problem isn’t pathological or chronic, the treatments are there and within everyone's reach. Read on to find out what they are.

Bike and back pain: the most effective remedies

The most frequent solutions to break the bike and back pain duo are ultrasound and massage, but there are many other equally effective. Sometimes, it takes very little to eradicate the problem at the root and to prevent the pain before it even appears.

Below are the 5 most effective remedies that every cyclist should use. Let us discover them together!

1. Choose the right bike size 

It is not uncommon to see cyclists riding bikes that are too small or too big for their bodies. The wrong choice f the vehicle forces the body to assume an incorrect and unnatural posture, which causes discomfort and pain over time.

To avoid back pain on your bike you must choose a bike of the correct size. The most important element to evaluate is the size of the frame and the diameter of the wheel, which must be chosen according to the height of the cyclist.

If we take the 27.5" Sestriere Lombardo bike as an example, the manufacturer recommends to use the following table:

For example, a cyclist between 1.71 and 1.77 cm tall should choose a 17 cm frame.

2. Adjusts the bike at its best

Bikes aren’t tailored for the cyclist, because the costs would be prohibitive. What you can do to adapt the bike to your physical characteristics is adjust both the saddle and the height and angle of the handlebar.

There are precise mathematical formulas to make perfect adjustments and many cyclists rely on the experience of a biomechanician, but there are some tricks that everyone can follow.

When the pedal is at its lowest point and therefore closest to the ground, your knee should be bent at approximately 15 or 20°. This reference can help you set the saddle, but you can also rely on your feelings and simply choose the height you find most comfortable.

When setting the handlebar, keep in mind that if it is lower than the saddle, the trim will be more aerodynamic, but the stresses on the back will undoubtedly be greater.

3. Learn how to maintain the appropriate posture

Bikes and back pain are usually associated with a poor posture, which places an excessive burden on the lumbar area. It is not as difficult as it may seem, but you need to educate your muscles until the correct position becomes natural.

First, the back should be straight and stable, while the shoulders should be relaxed and never curved. The head and chest should be slightly raised and an aerodynamic position should be avoided for too long.

If the ground has depressions, it is advisable to stay out of the saddle for a while and with your legs slightly bent. This way, the arms work like suspensions and vibrations are not only absorbed by the back.

4. Train your torso muscles as well

One of the most common mistakes of cyclists is to train only the muscles of their legs. To avoid back pain on your bike, you should also focus on the muscle groups in your upper body. When you are on the bike, the muscles of the lumbar, pectoral and abdominal areas support your back, preparing it to face the overwork that we undergo.

To achieve this, you should regularly perform simple exercises. The most useful are the crunches, which can be performed in various ways. Just do a quick search on Youtube to be inspired.

5. Stretch on a regular basis

The best way to break the bike and back pain duo is to never neglect stretching. Muscle stretching exercises should be done especially after every bike ride, but it can be useful to do them even when you don't have any pedaling in mind.

If you make stretching a habit, your back can only benefit from it, because it will become more flexible and strong, so as to more easily absorb the small traumas and vibrations it is subjected to during bike rides.

These are only the most effective remedies to combat back pain when cycling, but there are certainly many more. If you know any, write them down in the comments, so as to offer new ideas to other cyclists like you.